Telecom
Anudu, Swift Network MD Calls for Law to Protect IT Infrastructure
Charles Anudu, managing director, Swift Networks Limited has urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the bill to recognise telecommunications equipment as critical national resource.
The call he said has become necessary following the spate of destruction of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in some parts of the country
Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek in Lagos, Anudu decried destruction of continued vandalism of ICT equipment which cost companies billions annually to provide and maintain.
Fiber optic cables are major building blocks in the telecommunication infrastructure because of their high bandwidth capabilities but have been targets of malicious and unintended damages.
According to Anudu his company on various occasion have witnessed two to three fiber cuts per day, which adds to the burden of doing business and delivery quality service to Nigerians.
Apart from various constructions works on-going in some parts of Lagos where most of telecom companies operations are majorly based, activities of ‘uniformed’ communities and touts place daunting tasks on the operators.
He then called on the National Assembly to pronounce telecom infrastructure as public infrastructure as way of saving the souls (SOS) of the operators.
“When the internet is slow it is as a result of combination of so many factors. It could be that the fiber links have been cut. What the customer wants is to get connected on a click, within a few minutes.
“For instance, someone in Iyana Ipaja may want to connect and the link routing from there through Ikeja, Surulere and other links to Victoria Island (V.I), you will discover that the fiber may have been compromised or cut. When that happens, that call is routed through Ikorodu-Epe-Ajah before connecting in V.I. and such back-up is designed to carry a fraction of the load. But in the example given you will discover that everything is channeled though that route.
“The other way to imagine it by assuming that the third mainland bridge is closed; people will still move, but slower. Or there is a heavy rainfall and Western Avenue is flooded, it will also slow down traffic within the axis. Sometimes, there are community issues like area-boys (touts) draining the diesel from the base stations, sometimes they use cranes to remove power generators.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
MultiChoice to Discontinue Showmax Streaming Platform
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